Photocopiers are available in many varieties, from inexpensive small machines that simply make satisfactory copies slowly, to expensive and elaborate machines that make large numbers of copies quickly and, at the same time, reduce or enlarge the image, print it in color or black and white on one or both sides of various kinds of paper, and then collate and staple the steps of paper.
High-speed copiers are growing more productive, but are also growing more expensive. At the same time machine rental costs are rising, the cost of paper, supplies, floor space and labor (secretaries' or operators' salaries and related costs) are also rising. Additionally, these machines are larger and faster; so they consume more of these ever-more-expensive supplies faster. The costs associated with simpler machines, commonly called "convenience copiers", are economically absorbed into overhead. There may be no need to monitor these costs.
Monitoring, especially of more elaborate machines enhances accountability and control over the duplicating function. When volumes are low, a manual system of writing down the user's name or department, the account to be charged and the number of copies made, is satisfactory. Automated monitoring, however, is more reliable and better suited for high volume operations.
Counting devices with limited capability have been available for many years. They are all basically one of two types of systems, a cartridge, key, or card-activating counter; or, more recently, an electronic recorder.
Cartridge, key or card-activated counters limit access and use of a copier to one holding such a cartridge, key or card. Usually the number of copies is recorded by a counter.
Electronic recorders can be more elaborate. Some use a card or badge to control access to the copier. On certain types an account number can be entered on a keyboard and the number of copies made in that transaction is recorded against that account. The transaction data can be stored in a memory or on some medium, such as diskette or magnetic or paper tape. Periodically, the medium is processed, usually at some service bureau, to generate a report of copies made, account by account.
Several such devices are commercially available. None transmits data directly to a computer. Their users send the recording media (usually magnetic tape) to the service bureau, where the data is processed and printed. After the user receives the printed reports from the service bureau, it must batch and enter the data into its management information systems.
Some devices are cartridge, key or card activated, and so can record only the total number of copies, cumulatively tallied for a particular cartridge, key or card. In order to distribute copying charges among many clients or jobs or departments, each user must make out some form of charge slip for each tally of copies and an accounting staff must control all the charge slips and enter each one correctly to the proper account. The inconvenience to all users is aggravated by weaknesses they perceive in the internal controls inherent in such a system.
One or two devices can capture usage information and charges by client or department or job, but it is difficult to change the usage data to be gathered, and it is next to impossible to verify the data required. An accounting staff must still enter all the transactions into the accounting system.
Computer controlled photocopiers have been proposed in which a control program is made a part of the photocopier machine. Such apparatus is disclosed in Donahue U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,210 of Feb. 24, 1976, and Stewart U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,408 of Nov. 6, 1979. Those machines use a computer to control the successive operations of the copier in making copies.